Writing Tip #200

writing is a lot like cooking. its a lot of ‘what the fuck is this missing’ and it being something really basic like salt. 

How I Edit A First Draft

*Repost*

What is UP y'all I got like four hours of sleep which is always fantastic! This is a wicked old post I made that the majority of y’all haven’t seen! As always, any more stuff you want to ask/add specifically feel free! As a young author myself with limited experience, I just wanted to help those who don’t really know where to start or are looking for other methods! 

First, Don’t Get Discouraged!

This sounds like a basic thing, but nobody really likes editing their own stuff! It’s so easy to call it bad and just shove it in a folder to never look at again. Just remember everything you do is to make it the best it can possibly be and it’s pretty darn heccin good now! Completing drafts are fricken hard, and you’ve made it so far! Writing routines and Pinterest are my major sources of inspiration. 

Read it through!

I know, it sucks. You finished your first draft—comgratulations! And you want to get the editing over with. You think to yourself, “I wrote this and I know what to fix!” Maybe for some this is true, but for people like me, I forget so much. Do not start editing during this step. It is basically just a refresher. Take notes on what to fix later (what scene feels flat, parts that are confusing, etc). The only editing I allow myself to do here is grammar and spelling. Most times you’ll see too it’s not as bad as you think it is! 

How Do I Know What To Cut?

Not everthing that doesn’t work has to be cut. Recycling awesome lines that juts dont fit or even characters into different WIPS. That being said, soemtimes things just won’t work. Ask yourself these starting questions:

Does this supporting character have a purpose or can their role be taken over by a pre-existing character?

Is this action in character?

Does this scene contribute to the plot, character development, or offer a break in tension?

Work From Big To Small

You know those notes you took? The ones on plot and characterization? Fix those first. These big problems usually lead to the smaller issues or even fix them, like if a scene isn’t flowing naturally or something just fells off. If stuff doesn’t fall into place, look at the chapters before it.

Common Questions Ig

Q: Hey, Strange, what do you even know?

A: Nothing

Q: But I like this scene and I don’t want to cut it.

A: Cool. Keep it. If you like it and don’t have any doubts that it’s good, so will your readers and it will add to the book. Stuff like this can be for characterization and establishing relationships, and you can always add to scenes to make them seem more necessary. 

The point is that you like your book.  The point is that you are an amazing writer, even when it’s hard to believe. First drafts are usually trash, and each draft is better than the last. No draft will ever be perfect, it’s the draft that you think is the best you can do and you’re happy with that’s the final. 

“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”

— Ray Bradbury

“Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together? Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.”

— Emery Allen

“The deeper the wound, the more private the pain.”

— Isabel Allende

Tips for writing quickly

I am currently writing my debut novel (while working a full-time job) so I thought I’d share my tips on writing quickly. 

Writing the first draft is actually the easy and fast part! When you start editing, that takes the most time.

I work with brief outlines. Some work with strict outlines, but others use basic outlines for writing. I find that with basic outlines and a few points on what is supposed to happen helps me write faster because making the outlines basic gives me more room to keep it exciting.

If you work shifts like I do, identify what time in the day you are most productive and try to write then. For me, I won’t consider working in the afternoon because that’s when I’m in a slump. I prefer working in the morning or even late at night (even when I’ve just gotten home from work). 

Block distractions – I use Forest and the screen restrictions on my phone. 

I use OmmWriter (I got it when it used to be free) to block distractions and keep the music off, but turn the keyboard clicking feature on – since I love the sound so much it encourages me to write on! 

NEVER go back and edit or re-write. Going back to fix anything is the worst thing you can do. Instead, write a note for yourself, a random liner in the document or outside of it, and get it on the second draft.

Research later. If I forget a word or term, I put ELEPHANT or TK and search for it later to replace. If there is something I want to research, I quickly add a comment or note so I can research later. 

There are plenty of writing processors that have Talk-to-text. Use it! 

Do writing sprints with friends, or by yourself. If you have friends who write or study, get on FaceTime or Zoom together and set a specific time where you all get something done. When I’m by myself, I put up “write with me” or “study with me” videos on in the background sometimes to get in the mood of wanting to do something productive. If you’re an ARMY, try this. 

Keep writing notes on hand. Notes are important for names, birthdays, character descriptions, and more. You can have this digitally of course, some have use a binder, others a small booklet or note book. This saves time in finding information. 

Schedules are very important. If you want to write for a living, treat it like a job! Even as my passion, I treat it like a job and strive to be consistent with it. I find it helps to keep up a schedule instead of setting a deadline! The schedule has to be made a priority. You can set a schedule with your family or your partner, where you write after or before work every day, and let them know it is important for you to do. Treat your writing like a priority and everyone around you will, too. 

We wait all of our life for temporary things, like it is a normal thing. We wait for the weekend, for holidays, vacations, but this is not what life is about. We should not wait (never) because our life is too short and people don't observe this.

“All your life you wait, and then it finally comes, and are you ready?”

— Anthony Doerr (via quotemadness)

How to Set a Creative Goal

I'm going to be blunt here: a lot of creative people tend self-sabotage by giving themselves goals that are (1) not healthy and (2) completely unrealistic. I know because that used to be me.

I like to lead by example, so I'm going to give you my easiest, quickest, most successful guide for how to set your goal; regardless of whether you want to write a novel, edit said novel, pick up drawing, or learn an instrument.

1 - A Matter of Time

Ask yourself the following question:

"What is the least amount of time I can spend on this project every day?"

You read that right. Not "the most time" or "what you can spend on average." We're talking LEAST here. What is the least amount of time you can spend every day? Two hours? One hour? Twenty minutes? That's good, and that's enough.

Take it from someone who's been doing this for a while, who's made all the mistakes, and who's had to learn and re-learn this:

Consistency is Power.

The person who consistently works on their passions, every day, will not only grow faster, and finish more things, but also just be happier.

I know our human brain hates to wait; we want things to be ready yesterday, we want to see growth in a matter of minutes, but this is just not how life works. Being impatient only leads to burn out, take it from me. I learned that the (very) hard way.

So, again, ask yourself the question above and consider the LEAST amount of time you can spend on your craft every day.

Got it? Good. This is your goal. Now comes the hard part.

2 - The Making of a Habit

You may think that working on something only 50 minutes a day is not enough to actually get better, but that's actually how I practiced drawing. And you've all seen how far I've come. That's consistency, baby—but that isn't the only benefit of doing something every day!

The more you teach your brain to do something the less friction there is whenever you want to do said thing. It's just science. Writing can seem daunting, scary even, but the only way to change that is by consistently facing the blank page.

It gets easier. It'll never be automatic, you're never going to write a book in one sitting, but it is going to get less hard. Less harrowing. Some days you'll sit down and your allotted time will fly by.

It's wonderful.

That being said, the target is to work on your project everyday—because that'll help you make it into a habit faster—but don't stress out if you miss a day. Life happens. Whatever you do, try to miss as few days as possible. Keep a calendar, post about it on social media, tell people that you're challenging yourself. They'll take you more seriously.

3 - Appreciate Life

Your creative projects shouldn't impede your life, they should be a part of your life. That is why we practice them daily, and we spend a healthy amount of time on them. If 2020 taught me anything, it is that you have to take care of yourself. We are a system, a machine with many components, and when you don't take care of one the whole suffers.

That's why it bears repeating.

The best creative goal is one that you can achieve consistently with ease, every day, so that it can function as a part of your life.

That's the trick right there. I can tell you from experience that I used to think my writing, and my art, where separate to the act of living. I did those things, and then I did the living. And I shouldn't have to tell you, but that was such a mistake.

Spending a little bit of time on your passions every day is good enough.

And if you think it's not, remember that I don't give advice I don't follow myself. So far this year I've written AND edited two novels. All without burning myself, without rushing, and while taking the time to appreciate life.

Take that for what it's worth. 🐰🌻

I think its amazing that no one knows who you are but you. No one else knows the stories you create, the feelings you have at 3am, the song stuck in your head, your favourite childhood book. So stop allowing people to tell you what you should be or what you are because they don't know.

“I do not think I’m easy to define. I have a wandering mind. And I’m not anything that you think I am.”

— Syd Barrett (via quotemadness)